The medical lighting device comprises an operating unit and an operating area light. The operating area light is arranged above an operating area on the ceiling of an operating room. At least one lighting module with at least one controllable light source each is arranged for this in the operating area light. An operating unit makes it possible to actuate the at least one light source of the operating area light. A handle, at least one operating element, a position sensor and a marking and distance detection element for setting an illuminated area on the operating area are arranged for this at the operating unit. Furthermore, at least one image detection element with an image processing unit is provided in order to determine, in cooperation with at least two reference elements arranged at a predetermined distance from each other, the positions in space of the operating unit and/or the handle in the vertical and horizontal directions in relation to the room ceiling and to the operating area. In addition, a central control station for coordinating the lighting device according to the present invention and a lighting control unit connected to the central control station for actuating the at least one light source of the operating area light are provided. The central control station is connected to the operating unit and to the operating area light via wired or wireless data connections. Remote control of the operating area light can be performed by means of the operating unit.
US 2007 014 567 A discloses a combination of an operating light and an image detection means, wherein the operating light is suspended in a mobile and movable manner on a bracket and a camera is provided, which is in a known or detectable orientation in space in relation to the operating light. The signals of the camera are analyzed in order to rotate or move the operating light such that a shadow-free illumination is given.
US 2008 290 818 A describes a process for directing a plurality of spotlights in terms of the intensity of illumination, light color and radiation direction onto a predefined illuminated area. A sensor element is provided for this, which is placed in the illuminated area in order to detect the illumination situation and to actuate the corresponding spotlights in a remotely controlled manner. The sensor element is capable of distinguishing the individual spotlights from each other, because each spotlight sends a characteristic additional light signal, which is superimposed to the light beam proper. The drawback of this process is that a sensor must be placed in the illuminated area to carry out the process and the spotlights must be provided with the additional characteristic light signal. Placing sensors in the illuminated area, possibly even on the body of a patient, is not practicable in the overwhelming majority of applications in the clinical practice of an operating room.
DE 10 2007 002 382 A discloses a lighting arrangement with a light source for illuminating a surface with light of variable properties, in which a control means for controlling the property of the light is provided, which is connected to a sensor and is set up to determine from the output signals of the sensor lighting values of at least one partial segment of the surface, to compare the lighting values determined with a predefined lighting value and to generate, as a function of the comparison, control signals, with which the light source is actuated to correct the property of the light. Furthermore, a lighting process is presented. The illumination situation of the surface is detected by means of the sensor. The drawback of this arrangement is, on the one hand, that only a part of the illuminated surface can be detected by means of the sensor, and, on the other hand, arrangement of the sensor leads to a limitation of the access to the patient and additionally also causes the casting of a shadow onto the illuminated surface. Such a casting of a shadow by operating elements or equipment is to be avoided in the practice of an operating room as much as possible.
DE 32 27 494 describes an operating light device, whose light beam is automatically adjusted to the position of the dentist's chair such the treating light always remains directed onto the area of the patient's mouth.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,803,727 B3 describes a lighting system with a lighting means, wherein the lighting means can be moved by a control in the X-Y direction so as to illuminate an area. The area is adjusted in this case into a focal area, and the focal area is defined by an optical, ultrasound- or radio frequency-based pointer device. Signals of the pointer device are received by suitable receiving means arranged in the room and sent to the control. The illuminated area and the focal area of the lighting system are selected in a remotely controlled manner by means of an opening and control unit connected to the control or by means of the pointer device. Lighting means are selected in a remotely controlled manner by means of operating elements, which are arranged at the operating and control unit and the brightness and focus of said lighting means are set in an indirect manner by means of drive elements. One advantage of a lighting system according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,803,727 B3 is that optimal setting of the light on the operating area can be achieved with an arrangement of a plurality of actuatable lighting elements compared to an individual operating light in the room on the ceiling. The drawback of this setting of the lighting is that the operating and control unit is necessary in addition to the pointer device for selecting the lighting parameters and the illuminated area and the operation by means of the operating unit is markedly different from the usual operation of an individual operating light. Operation by means of an operating and control unit requires inputs and continuous corrections during a surgical operation, and the clinical staff usually must temporarily leave the operating table to perform these tasks in order to make the settings. This leads to a compromise of the activities proper of the clinical staff at the operating table and can be compensated by additional staff only, which staff would have to be kept available for operating the lighting control away from the operating room.
US 2009 261 759 A describes a device and a process for uniformly illuminating an operating area. An operating area of interest is selected in this case by means of a control unit, the illumination situation of the operating area is detected by a camera, and individual lighting elements of a lighting unit are switched such that a shadow-free illumination of the lighted area of interest is obtained. The selection of the lighted field of interest requires initializations and inputs by the clinical operating staff before and during the performance of the surgical operation, for which the clinical staff must leave the area of the operating table at least temporarily. This leads to a burden for the clinical staff and can be compensated only by additional staff, which would have to be kept available for operating the lighting control away from the operating table.
In many cases in clinical practice, the use of a lighting system according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,803,727 B3 or the use of devices and processes for uniformly illuminating an operating area according to US 2009 261 759 A require changes at least partly in the routines and work processes during surgical operations, which cannot be implemented and are not practicable in every clinical situation.
Contrary hereto, the illuminated area can be set and the focus of the light beam or even the intensity of the light beam can be adjusted by a direct manual handling at the light itself, for example, by turning a handle in case of operating lights of a conventional design, which are arranged pivotably and rotatably on the ceiling or a ceiling-mounted support system.
Further operating lights of a conventional design are known from the state of the art in various embodiments, wherein DE 10 2004 055 838 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 7,441,923, U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,105, U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,237 and EP 1 084 364 describe embodiment variants that pertain specifically to the control of the lighting.
The drawback of conventional operating lights is that at least one additional, second operating light must be additionally used in many cases for setting a complex light situation for a special illumination situation, which often makes access to the patient difficult and makes handling difficult due to the movement and light settings of two operating lights in relation to one another.